Vending-machine cabinet



Oct. 2, 19 8. 1,686,091 L. C. MANNING i VENDING MACHINE CABINET FiledNov. 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY QiM Oct. 2, 1928.1,686,091

7 L. c. MANNING VENDING MACHINE CABIN-ET Fi led Nov. 2'7, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WGfITLa/W WMQ ATTORNEY oooooo-' I'NVENTORATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1928.

L. C. MANNING VENDING MACHINE CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 2'7,1925 Oct. 2, 1928.

L. C. MANNING VENDING MACHINE CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 27,1925 INENTOR I Qmgm'l ATTORNEY Patented M21928. I b tees-n91 UNITEstares sis-T NT orricr.

LANDON o. MANNING, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR To PACK SHOPS, me, orNew Y YORK, N. Y., A, CORPORATION OF'NEW YORK.

VENDING-MACHINE CABINET.

Application filed November The invention relates in general to a coincontrolled, manually actuated vending machine of the type intended foruse. in vending different articles of manufacture, and themventionspecifically relates to the cabinet feacompanion application to providea vending machine particularly designed to supplement the sellingservice in department and other stores and thus facilitate the sale ofstandard articles of merchandise. l

The vending device herein disclosed is intended to be utilized for theselling of various articles in package form, the size and con figurationof which packa'gemust, of course, vary with the type of article to bevended. In attempting to maintain an automatic selling service it isrequired that the assortment of merchandise appropriated to any oneparticular machine be changed frequently to meet the currentdemands forcertain groups ofarticles, and it not infrequently happens that the samearticle comes in different sizes or is put in differentsized packageswhich vary from time to time. v

Accordingly, therefore one of the OlJJCCiIS of the invention is toprovide a vending machine and'particularly avending machine cabinetforsuch a machine, which cabinet and its associated parts'and contents maybe modified readily in its package stacking or package reservoirfeatures, or which can be made to accommodate, to receive, store andvend packages of variablesizes and in which the severaladjustable partscan be readily c-haiiged from time to time, so as to accommodate thesame to vend different size and con-' disposed-to discharge theircontents into one chute.

figuration of packages.

. I It is feature of vending machines of the type above outlined thatthey can be d sposed in corners, in recesses, in between windowsanddoors, and in other space acceptable to the purchasing public but whichis nototherwise valuable as store space." It has been found that a.vending machine ofthe multiple sharp the circular or substantiallyprovides themaxini'um frontage to the vendmg machine and in thiswaypermitsof the in- 2'7, 1925. Serial in). 71,599.

article type herein disclosed can be installed in such places providedthey do not present corners; are of a pleasing appearance which can hemade. to harmonize with the surrounding decoration and which caneconomically utilize all :of the space-allotted to it for vendingpurposes. A form which responds to these requirements is semi-circularor rather substantiallysemi-circular inhorizontal cross-section andincludes a main frame intowhich are fitted a plurality of-vending units,one forvending each form of article. \Vhile such a form has theadvantage in that circular front stallation of a large number ofvending-units compared to the area within the cabinet, ithas thedisadvantage in that, there is apt to be lost space between the stackedpackages which therefore cannot be made to occupy the entire form ofcabinet. h v

Accordingly, another object of the inven-- tion isto prov de within asemi-circular form non-rectangular form of the artistically ideal ofcabinet such disposition of the stacked articles to be vendedtogetherwith their associated package ejecting mechanism, that all,

or as far as jn'actical, all of the contained to a minimum.

featuring economy and simplicity in the coin struction of themain frameof the machine is the providing ofpa'ckage discharge chutes whichWill-be conveniently disposed adiacent the eiecting mechanism actuatinghandleand which, at the same t1m'e,will in'their aggregate be less than.the'total number of vending unit-s contained in the machine.

This phase of the invention is effected by compromising the tworequi'rements and providing one discharge chute for each pair of-- adjacent'vending units and by arranging the stacks so that Onelargepackageres'ervoir and. an adjacent small package reservoir are Variousother'objects and. advantages of the invent on will be 111 part obvlousfrom an inspection of the accompanying drawings 75 v are usually ofrectangular fori'n inplan and 80 space is utilizedand waste space isreduced i'rendin, machine illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention with parts broken away and with hidden parts shown in ghostout-line; I j

Figures Qand 3 are each horizontal sec tional views taken respectivelyon the lines *2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1'1ooking downward- 1y as indicatedby the arrows;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the front portion of thepackage shown in Fig. 1

and taken on the line H of Fig. 1 looking in the. direction indicatedbyjthe arrow Figure 5 is a plan view .ofthe underside of the aperturedplate shown on side elevation in Fig. 4 and forming the top memberof oneof the reservoirs;

i cumferentially Figure 6 is a s milar view of the bottom member of thereservoir;

Figure? is a view of a'slightly modified form corresponding somewhat tothe showing in Fig. 3 and in which the packages are ejected radially tothe rear rather than cirto the right as in the-form showniin Fig. 3; and

Figure 8 is averti view taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 7 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrow. Referring to the casing as awhole. it may be regarded as madeup of a flat,sheet metal rear back side10, projecting forwardly from the-lower end of whichis a semi-circular,

hollow casting l1. hereinafter referred to the base, and projecting fromthe upper end Qof which is a fanciful-canopy constituting a roof 12.Fitted between the base and roof is a curved, substantiallysemi-circular front I to the cabinet when considered as awholetheir-bottoms by their upper edges 13. This cabinet front is madeup of a pinrality of vertically extending flat panelled fronts 14 whichare assembled side by side and coact to give a pleasing. polygonal front.The panels are preferably castings with their vertical sides flanged asindicated at 15, so as to give transverse strength to the thinpanel.These panels are each centrally fastened at fastening means-16 and havefitted to the roof and are "collectively secured at their upper edges bymeans of a semi-circular strap 17.

jFor a reason hereinafter explained, the panels are manufactured in two.standard widths and are alternately arranged. As the space adjacent thecenter of the rear wall 10 cannot conveniently beutilized to accommodateany Vending units. the end panels 18 are hm ade of the least'possible.width and are permanently secured to the rear wall and to the base Thisstructure tends to give rigidityto the structure as a whole when thefront character 19, one form described in the above tained caltransverse sectional shown. in Fig. 3, receiving the discolored or forany other reason becomes unsuited for continued use, may be replaced asa whole simply by replacing the corresponding panel and the partscarried thereby. These parts include a manually actuated coin controlledpackage ejecting mechanism, indicated generally .by the reference ofwhich is more fully identified copending application. This mechanismfincludes an actuating handle 20 which. projects forwardly through a slot21 in the panel and includes a coin passageway 22 designed to receive a.coin inserted through a slot-23 in the panel.

The several passageways 22 at their rear ends open into a coin chuteQl.The mechanism 19 also comprises a coin controlled package ejectingmechanism which includes a package engaging ejecting bar or finger 25.

The ejector works to package 26 in a stack of packages 27 conina'i'eservoir 28 and the parts are so disposed and organized to permitthe ejected package to fall. into a package discharge chute 29 formed inthe base 11. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2and 3, three discharge chutes are disclosed, the two rightchutes:particularly discharge from two pairs of reservoirs and the leftchute receiving the discharge from the three left reservoirs. shown inoutline at the lefthand side ()f Fl.-",Ll1'e 2. In the modified formshown in Fig. 7, the packages are. ejected radially from front to rearin thedirection indicated by the arrow into a centrally post tioneddischarge chute 3O which;corresponds to the coin receiving chute 2 1- sothat, in the form shown in Fig. 7, one discharge chute acts for all ofthe vending unitsand leads downwardly and forwardly and opens throughthe front of the base ll. In either case. it wil'be noted that thecentrally pose,

move the lowermost largest possible number of separate kinds of articlesto be vended, or the vending of the largest number of large sizepackages. In either case the selected disposition provides for theaccommodation of the largest ac-- cumulative area. horizontally, ofpackages to be vended. The openings 2% or at the back of the floor 3.1,forming the top of the casing. utilizes the space at the center'of theseinicircle and which central space would otherwise be lost as storagespace. This leaves the space in the cabinet in advance of the openingand between the same and the semi-circular front wall as a semi-annularspace for containing the reservoirs and their associate package ejectingmechanism.

It is vitally necessary in vending machines of the type under discussionto utilize all possible available space. In the present in voir,measured radially, between two rela-.

tively long reservoirs, as suggested in the right hand side of Fig. 7,so that the short reservoir will substantially fill the triangular spaceformed by the two adjacent longer reservoirs. Economy in spacedisposition is also attained by vertically staggering the dischargeoutlets at the'discharge end-of the reservoirs as shown in dottedoutline. in Figure 1 so thatthe package discharge'from the lowermost ofa pair of stacks, as shown at 32, will be projected'into the dischargepassageway beneath the relatively raised stack,

as shown in 38, Fig. 1. l/Vhere either or both of the reservoirs arespaced a material distance above the package discharge chute 29 in thebase, it is suggested that one or more guide plates 34 be secured inposition to receive the discharge packages and toguide the same throughthe lower portion ofthe cabinet and into the discharge chute in thebase.

The reservoir for each unit includes a top member 35, particularly shownin Fig. 5, and which is substantially rectangular in plan having one enddown-turned to form a fastening flange .36 and projecting from theopposite end is a finger 37 formingan extension for use when it isdesired to form a particularly long reservoir. Positioned below the topmember is a bottom member 38 (see Fig. 6) which provides a support forthe stack of packages and in the instant case is .formed of two parts soas to permit the ejector number 25 to pass therebetween. The sides ofthe reservoir are defined by vertically extending rods 39 fitted betweenthe top and bottom members. of this disclosure that these rods may beadjusted relative to each other so as to form the reservoir of differentsizes and of different configuration in horizontal cross-section. Two.of the rods, 40, may be per- It is a feature manently secured to the topand bottom members and in this way-fix oneisideof the reservoirleavingthe other three sides adjustable. Opposite ends of-the reservoirmay in each instance be defined by single end rod 41 fitted in apertures42 .in both the top and bottom members. In each member of the aperturesmay be in a single line as shownat the right and left hand sides of Fig.5 ornmay be arranged in a plurality of roWs-asshown at opposite sides ofFig. 6. These rods are secured in position eitherby theirfrictional fitin the apertures into which they extend or they may be more positivelysecured as by means of a ring lock 43.

The side of the reservoir opposite; the fixed rods is defined by avertically adjustable 45 slidably adjustable in two selected pairs ofapertures 46 in the top member 35. These rods are connected intermediatetheir length by a brace plate 47 and at .their lower ends tically, so asto permitthe escape from the;

stack of, thelowermost packagebut will be. positioned in advance of thenext tothe lowermost package and in this way preventthe accidentalejection of any package, except the lowermost package, when acted'uponby the functioning ofthe ejector 25.

The frame is locked in its vertically adjusted position by aneasilyadjusted fastener for securingthe rods in any'of their set positions.Referring particularly toFig. 5 it is noted that this locking-meansisformed by a plate 52 slidably mounted by means of apair'of pin and slotconnections53 to the underside of the upper member 38.v This circularnotches 54 for receiving one of the rods 45 irrespective of itsdifferent position. in the apertures in the upper n'iemberl A springacts on therear edge of the plate to move the same in one direction anda Pet screw 56 acts oppositely to the action of the spring so that whenthe rod is'inserted in place and the screw tightened the rod and with itthe gauge frame is set in its vertically adjusted position. i

In the form of the invention shownin F ig; 7 it is suggestedthat-instead of. forming separate top and bottom members, onefor eachreservoir as suggested in the preferred form.'a single semi-annularplate 57 b-e used to define the upperface of the base 11 and frame 44which includes two u standin rods 1 plate is provided alongone edge withsemi} 25 package as it is being 50 this case,

that it' be suitably apertured, as shown at 58, to receive the lowerends of the reservoir forming rods and that a similarplate, not shown,be secured to the roof'12 and corre- 'spondingly apertured to receivethe upper ends of the reservoirs forming rods. Further, in the showing'inF-ig. 7, the member forming the bottom of the reservoirs is of lesswidth considered radially than would be required to completely under-lapthe packages positioned thereon. .It is a feature of-both iforms of theinvention herein illustrated that the lowermost packageprojects forapproximately half of its length in the direction in which it isprojected beyond its supporti It has been found-in practice that asupport of 'evenless length can be used for the weight of the superposedpackages tends to hold the lowermost package to its ledge-like seat andin this way the package ejecting mechanism need not travel the fulllength of the package in order to eject it. This arrangement permits asmaller ejecting mechanism and the minimizing of clearance for theejected freed from its stack. This arrangement permits of a much closerpositioning of the units. as shown in the show- -mg in Fig. 3, I

1 clearance space beyond the stackhad to be 3 the same length,circumferentially, as the width ofthe ejected package. The front edge ofthe bottom member constitutes a discharge edge which. as shown in Fig.4, ispo'sit-ioned below the gauge plate, and as shown in Fig.

" f 6 is positioned within'the plane'of the gauge plate. The dischargingedge of the lower member and the lower edge of the gaugev plate co-actto provide an outlet for the'lowerinost package as it is ejected fromthe stack by the '40 action of the ejecting mechanisms A side- *wrse,lateral or circumferential ejection of the packages as shown in Fig. 3is indicated 7 where the packages to be vended are relaitively smallorare somewhat square in plan 345"while the endwise or radialejectlionsuggested in Fig. 7 is preferable where the packages are somewhat longeror otherwise where advantagecan be taken of the space provided by thelong radial dimensions of the cabinet. posedsomewhat towards the centerof the cabinet leaving the space in advance of the stock and between thesame and the front wall of the cabinet to contain the ejecting mechto.anism.

I While/I have shown and described, and

have pointed out in the annexed claims, cer-' 'tain novel features of myinvent-iomit will be understood that various omissions, substitution andchanges, in the form anddetails of the device illustrated and in itsoperation may be made'bv those skilled in the art without. departingfrom the spirit of the invention. r

' claim: I

than would be the case if the the long packages can be dis- Having thusdescribed my invention, I

1. In a vending machine,the combination of an upstanding cabinetsubstantially semlcircular in horlzontal crOss sectiOn, a floordefiningthe bottom of the cabinet, said floor provided with a dischargeopening located at the center of its sen'ii-circularoutline leaving thespace above the floor-and between the curved side of the cabinet andthever- .tical y projected outline of the opening as a sen'u-ininnlarspace, a plurality oflvertically extending packagereservoirs eachsubstanlv recta -e-nlar in plane and disposedin rad L nular space andreservoirs coactlng substantially to fill the semi-annularspaceoonsidered horizontally wherebya maximum number of reservoirs forcontaining rectangular packages may be contained within the outlines ofasemi-circular vending machine.

2. In a vending machine, the combination of an upstanding cabinetsubstantially semicircular in horizontal cross-section, a floor definingthe bottom of the cabinet, said floor provided with adischarqe openinglocated at the center of its semi-circular outl1neleavi the space abovethe floor and between ially disposed position in said semi-anthe curvedside of the cabinet and the ver- 7 tically projected outline of the.opening as a senn-annular space, a plurality of vertically extendingpackage reservoirs substantially rectangular in plane of variable sizesand disposed in radially disposed, positiondn said semi-annular. spaceand said reservoirs c0- acting substantially to fill the semiannularspace considered. horizontally whereby a maximumnumber of reservoirs forcontaining rectangular packages of different dimensions in plan may becontained within the outlines of a semi-circular vencing machine.

3. In a vending machine, the combination of an upstanding cabinetsubstantially semicircular in horizontal cross section, a floor definingthe bottom of the cabinet, said floor provided with adischar-ge openinglocated at the center of its semi-circular outline leaving the spaceabove the floor and between the curved side ofthe cabinet and thevertically projected outline of the opening-as a semiannular space, aplurality of vertically extending package reservoirs in said semiannularspace and said reservoirs coacting substantially to ill the semi-annularspace considered horizontally whereby a maximum number of reservoirs forcontaining packages may-be contained within the outlines of asemi-circular vending machine and a dis charge chute leading from saidcentral opening towards the curved front side of the cabinet. .j

4. In a vending machine, the combination of a cabinetliaving a frontsubstantially semi circular in horizontal cross-section, a plu of acabinet having a rality of vertically disposed package reservoirsCOHtHlDQClilI said cabinet, a plurality of manually actuated packageejecting mechanisms Eontained in said cabinet, said IGSPJ' Voirs andmechanism disposed side by side adjacent the inner side of the cabinetand disposed to extend radially of cabinet with their inner ends inuXtaposition-and exposed towardsthe rear of the cabinet to leave a clearspace in rear of all of tiie 1 reservoirsithereby to utilize all thespace possible within the cabinet ad acent the curved front andaplurality of package dis- V at the front of the cabinet,"

charge chutes leading from the cabinet, certain of said chutes, eachhaving'its' receiv ng end operatively disposed to receive the packagesejected froin'a plurality of reservoirs whereby a single chute m'ay beutilized-to discharge the packages from more than one reservoir.

I open to the discharge element of a plurality of reservoirs to receivethe packages ejected therefrom whereby a single chute may be utilized todischarge the packages from more than one reservoir, and a singlecoinreceiving chute disposed at the radial center of the cabinet and in rearof the reservoirs to receive the coins from all of the mechanisms in thecabinet.

6. In a'vending machine, the combination of acabinetsubstantiallysemi-circular in horizontal cross-section and having a flat verticallyextending rear wall, a plurality of package reservoirs disposed in thecabinet adjacent the inner side of the front, said reservoirs in planeach extending with its greatest dimensions radially of the cabinet,three of said reservoirs being disposed side by side with theintermediate reservoir constitutiiig a relatively short reservoir disposed in the angle formed by the two adjacent reservoirswhich arerelatively longer than the intermediate reservoir.

7. In a vending machine, the combination of a cabinet substantiallysemi-circular in horizontal cross-section, three package reservoirsdisposed in the cabinet-adjacent the inner side of the front, saidreservoirs in plan each extending With its greatest dimensions radiallyof the cabinet and COIQpTlSlIl-g' a relatively short reservoir disposedin the 7 each reservoir will of therurvel front lower reservoir chargechute for receiving the packages dis;

angle formed by the two adjacent relatively longer reservoirs wherebythe front ends of be facing its proportion of the semi-circular front, asingle package discharge chute for receiving the 'disharg-ed packagefrom the short reservoir and from one-of its adjacent relatively longreservoirs and a coin chute the center of the semi-cincle forr-eceivingthe coins introduced into the cabinet.

8. In a vending machine, the combination ofa cabinet provided with agroup consist mg of an even number of package reservoirs and associatedmechanism for ejecting the packages therefrom, said reservoirs beingradially disposed relative to a common point and arranged in asemicircle, means-providing a plurality. of package discharge chutesbeing one half of the number of reservoirs in said group, each chutebeing open to receive the packages discharged from the two reser: voirsdisposed above the sain 9'. In a vending machine, the combination of acabinet provided in one portion thereof with an even number of packagereservoirs and associated mechanism for ejecting the packages therefrom,means providing a plurality of package discharge chutes beingone half ofthe number of reservoirs insaid portion, each chute being open toreceive the packages discharged from the two reservoirs disposed abovethe same and a single chute,

through all of V for receiving the'coins passedthe mechanism in thecabinet.

10. In a vending machine, the combination of two package containingreservoirs, each provided with a package discharging opening at itsbottom, the bottom of one of the reservoirs being vertically spacedabove the level of the bottom of the otherreservoir thereby to provide aspace beneath the higher reservoir'for receiving packages ejected fromthe lower reservoir.

11. In a vending machine, the combination of two package containingreservoirs, each provided with a package dischargingopening at itsbottom, the bottom of one of the reservoirs being vertically spacedabove the level of the bottom of the other reservoir-thereby to providea space beneath the higher reservoir for receiving packages ejected fromthe and a single package discharged from both reservoirs. j

12. In a vending machine, the combination of a base substantiallysemi-circularin plan, and provided at the center of the chorddeiii'iing'tlie straight side with a. discharge opening leaving anarcuate space between the.

curved side of the base and the discharge opening, a plurality tained inthe space Within the vertically proected outlines of said arcuate space.

18. In a vend ng machine, the combination of units each including avertically extending package reservoir con-,

ofunits arranged side by side disposed relative to a center, meansproviding a discharge chute with its receiving endat said center andeach of said units provided with a discharge opening into of a pluralityand radially 7 said receiving end of the chute.

"14, In a vending machine, of a plurality of package reservoirs-disposedside by side in a semi-circle, radially disposed relative to a center,and with each reservoir spaced from said center, the space between saidcenter and the adjacent ends of the reservoirs being free to form aclear passageway outlined-on one side by the circle of reservoirs. j

15. In a vending machine, the combination ofa plurality of verticallyextending package reservoirs each having a front and a rear side, saidreservoirs in horizontal cross section collectively having more than twoconfigurations, said reservoirs arranged with their front sides disposedsubstantially on the arcof a circle,a discharge opening adjacent therear ends of the reservoirs and contained within the sector formed bythe reservoirs, said reservoirs and discharge opening utilizingsubstantially all of the space within said sector. 7 T

the combination 16. In a vending machine,

of a plurality of vertically extending package reservoirs positionedside by side, each or said reservoirs provided at its lower end with adischarge outlet, the discharge outlets of adjacent reservoirs beingvertically stag; gered so that the package discharged from the lowermostof a pair of reservoirs can be the combination projected beneath theother relatively raised raised next adjacent reservoir and a d1stherelatively raised rescharge chute below ervoir to receive the packagesdischarged from both of said pair of reservoirs. I Signed at NewY0rk,'in the county of New York and State of New York this 17th day ofNov., A. D., 1925. I

' LANDON' c. MANNING;

side by side, each being vertically

